Just a Thought
by Shadow Ranger
Summary: I have some odd ideas for Harry Potter stories. Sometime I even get as far a writing a bit of them.


Author's note: Just a silly little idea. I read plenty of stories where the Gryffindors decide to reject Harry and kick him out of their house. It never goes very well for them. So I though just for once I'd try something where they completely misunderstand the rules.

Let the House Decide

The floor was hard and uncomfortable for the assembled students. They all knew that Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley were to blame for their predicament, but they chose to blame Harry Potter for their situation since he was safely tucked away in Gryffindor Tower.

It had all been so simple when they had agreed to their course of action. Weasley had made it clear that Potter must have entered himself in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. And despite her initial disagreement, Granger had by the next morning backed his claimed. The honour of their house was on the line and so the prefects had called for a meeting of the house. They had planned to peer pressure Potter into confessing, but he had been too stubborn. So in their anger words had been exchanged and the house had told him he did not belong.

That was when things went down hill. They had expected Potter to confess rather than face the isolation within the tower. Instead he had concentrated on his homework and kept to himself. They had upped the ante by denying him the chance to take part in house activities. They had threatened his position on the Quidditch team - not that they had any intention of removing him - and all he had done was nodded. But when they had threatened to have him removed from Gryffindor, they had gone too far and Potter had thrown down the gauntlet.

"Let the House decide," he had said and the prefects had agreed.

That night at dinner the Gryffindors had decided to make a public statement by holding the vote for all to see. Granger had found the loophole that meant they did not need to ask the Head of House's permission if the decision was made in the presence of the Headmaster. It had all seemed so simple and they had even agreed to give Potter one last opportunity to confess in front of the other houses and the visiting schools. And then things had gone wrong.

The appearance of the Sorting Hat should have been a warning for there had never been an instance of a student leaving one house and joining another. The frown on the faces of the teaching staff was another, although the gleeful look on Potter's face was much worse.

For in their haste the Gryffindors had not considered that words could have more than one meaning. They had been so sure they could bully him into compliance that it never entered their minds that he had fully researched their threats and had found a way to counter them. They had thought that when he had laid down the challenge that he was talking about the students that made up Gryffindor. But Harry Potter had been cleverer than that. Harry Potter had invoked an old magic that allowed the house to decide on its membership.

It had been surprisingly simple: the decision could only be made when all students in the house agreed and both sides of the argument considered it the only resolution. The castle's magic would judge those within the house and decide which side truly belonged there. And then the verdict was announced by the Sorting Hat.

"Potter!"

There had been silence in the Great Hall as the Hat had announced its verdict, declaring him innocent of the accusations before judging the rest of the house as bullies and cowards. There had been shock as their uniforms had changed, stripping them of their Gryffindor colours and badge. Their table had magically shifted to the end of the Great Hall while Potter remained seated under the Gryffindor banner. It was clear to all concerned that the House of Lions was now a single lion.

The bigger shock had come when they had tried to return to Gryffindor Tower. The Fat Lady had refused to open for them. And for the first time they had realised that they were without a place to stay. Potter of course was allowed in despite the protests of his fellow students. And when their luggage had appeared at the bottom of the stairs, it was clear the would be sleeping in the Great Hall.

"Those removed from their house remain so until they have redeemed themselves and gained the forgiveness of those they wronged," the Sorting Hat had told them. "Should new students be sorted into Gryffindor they will be placed there, but only Mr Potter can allow your return."

Somehow after all the words that had been exchanged, the students didn't feel very confident about that idea.


End file.
